The decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to the EU has raised some questions, but there is no doubt at all that is has been received in a reflective manner, with many recalling the original mindset behind the bloc that has become central to all our lives.

The EU was born out of the ashes of World War II. Europe had been ravaged by war for hundreds of years. Following the collapse of Rome, it was a backwater. It was infested with disease, poor education, poor culture and constant war. The death and destruction continued through the dark, middle ages and industrial revolution periods and culminated in the tragedy which was WWII.

In 1950, in an effort to ensure that war could never again ravage Europe, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed that France and the Federal Republic of Germany pool their coal and steel resources in a new organisation that other European countries could join. Over time, the EU has grown from six countries to 27, absorbing countries in Eastern Europe as they emerged from decades under communist rule. It also absorbed Malta and it continues to spread through the Balkans, as more and more candidate countries are taken in.

At a time when Europe is ravaged by debt crises, the news is most welcome. At a time when people are taking to the streets to protest against the cost of living and lack of jobs, the news is again most welcome. It reminds us that despite its many failings, the EU has been a positive influence. It has taken disparate nations and welded them into a bloc of sovereign states – a true experiment in democracy and multiculturalism. Is it not actually quite amazing that people from Sweden, Germany, Greece and Malta (and all the others) are guided by the uniting force that is the EU?

We have become a major economic power, despite our recent slip. We are indeed also a major political force. We are also an instrument of peace. Although the EU scored the accolade as a long-term project, in terms of bringing peace to Europe, it has also worked for peace in other nations. The EU was active in the Balkans, Libya and many other fronts. While it is true that we are living through troubling times, we should ask our elders to remind us what Europe was like 70 years ago. War, hunger, despair and disease were the order of the day.

We are now a continent of peace, made up of 500 million people in 27 nations, with other nations lined up, waiting to join the club. But unity is being threatened by the debt crisis and the surge of nationalist elements that were long thought to be dormant.

Europe has challenging times ahead. To maintain peace and stability, the economic crisis must be tackled in an effective manner. Put simply, the EU has always done it by the seat of its pants. But things have changed, it is time to overhaul the system. There needs to be more equity and citizens need to get a better deal. The system needs to include people and make them feel that they are part of it and that they are being treated fairly. A more solid plan is needed, else we will fade into irrelevance – the Old World, once again.